Karen Karn

I've gathered together a few items to purge, but I realised, as soon as I started thinking about what to get rid of, this game  is going to be a huge challenge. Not only will finding [30(30+1)/2] items be difficult, but also deciding how to get rid of them. Today's item is a bag of used, plastic carrier bags. I try, as much as possible to use reusable bags when I go shopping, but there are days when the groceries just don't all fit into the bags I have with me and I need to buy a plastic one. These accumulate in the cupboard under the sink. So now, I have this big bag of plastic carriers. What do I do with them? I can't, in good conscience, just throw them away, knowing that they'll go in some landfill and never biodegrade or go to the incinerator and add further to the toxic fumes. Is that really what I have to do? Apparently, yes. If I'm going to play this game properly, it seems I need to suspend my environmentalist conscience for 30 days. There...

I saw this in my Instagram feed this morning. minimalismfilm.com I don't know, either. I read somewhere that it's perfectly natural to want. As a species we are evolving, and part of evolution is to strive to achieve something more than that which lies within our immediate grasp. From the beaks of finches to fiscal ambitions, it's all about becoming better, adapting to achieve success. I understand that Joshua Becker and Ryan Nicodemus and the new minimalists are talking about mindless consumerism, the incessant desire to fill the God-shaped hole with something that bears no resemblance to God, material goods such as the latest iPhone, a new dining set or this season's handbag/haircut/shoes. I understand that The Minimalists , who I admire greatly, have been at the top of the corporate ladder, surrounded by all their material possessions and found the hole even more gaping. Aside from manic over consumerism, to want isn't always a mindless exercise. ...

I, like the person who posted this, saw this pop up in my news feed and felt the need to share it here. Translated from the original Norwegian post . What if it had been you? 08/21/2015 - 9:34 p.m. It's not often I call friends to ask if I can publish their Facebook status as a blog post, but when I saw this pop up in my newsfeed today, I realised immediately that this had to be shared with a wider audience. It is my good friend Oliver who has written this great text, which is simply a beautiful symphony of emotions and gratitude, compassion and love, sadness and contemplation. Political or not - this is fantastically written. "Look at this picture. The one just below the advertisement for cheap industrial meat and fish. Translation: Police use tear gas on refugees. Via vg.no.  Original article (in Norwegain)     It looks like a dad holding a son. Such a dad who could just as easily have been me, if I had not won first prize in the...

When I read this  this blog post , I was compelled to translate it into English. (Originally posted in Norwegian in May 2015 around the time of Norway's biggest national celebration Constitution Day .) A  Palestinian  child. Photo: The Guardian “How are you?” An ordinary question, a phrase, something to say. “I’m fine, thanks”, we most often reply. Today, I got an eye-opener. What does it mean to be fine? According to  Maslow , we humans must have certain needs met before we can develop. One doesn’t need to be a psychologist to understand the basic needs of food, water and sleep for survival. Maslow's  hierarchy  of needs pyramid When these needs are met, we seek security and protection . Then comes a sense of belonging and love, and only then can one begin to think of status, self-esteem and finally personal and spiritual self-actualisation. It strikes me that I have every need in Maslow's pyramid covered, and most...

I bid on this gold shopping bag on eBay. 100% leather, beautiful, fun. This isn't the actual bag. The image was removed by someone... this bag is available on Etsy, here . But, it was £30 + £13 postage, and I don't need. I already have a gold shopping bag, 100% leather, beautiful. So i was relieved when, at the last minute, literally, I was outbid. That's £43 saved! Then, on the run up to Christmas, in the fog of online spending, I clicked on a 'Free UK Delivery' option on Amazon. Earlier this week, I noticed that £79 had been deducted from my bank account. I had, unwittingly, subscribed to a year of Amazon Prime. I contacted Amazon and, because I hadn't used any of the privileges, I got a full refund. That's £79 saved! £43 + £79 = £122 not spent! £122 saved and can therefore... spend! 

I haven't read this book, I haven't even read what it's about, but the title, I love. We were raised with no culture of food, no routine of eating at all, much less a meal served at a table. One of my healthy eating strategies is to eat seated. It's as simple as that. If ever I notice that I'm standing and eating, I know there's something wrong. I'm not being mindful, I'm not even being conscious. Julian Baggini is a journalist and philosopher who studies the complexities of personal identity. He is the editor-in-chief of the Philosophers' Magazine. See also: Why dieting doesn't usually work by Sandra Aamodt

Last year, Kenneth, Noah and I went to Lagunen (a large shopping cebtre on the mainland), At some point, I got really hangry and we stopped, at the first cafe we saw, to eat. At this cafe, there was a table, near the counter, heavily laden with loaves of fresh bread - a bit like a good breakfast in a nice hotel. The best bread there, by far was an orange loaf. Tomato bread. Noah talks about this bread, as though it were a fantasy. We talk about going back, just so we can have more of it (and another Club Sandwich with the mysterious brown sauce!) Skip to the chase, I decided to try and make my own tomato bread. Here's the recipe. Ingredients 5 cups of flour - you may need more. 2 tsp salt 12g dry yeast or 50g fresh yeast Pepper to taset Herbs to taste - I didn't use any in mine, but I would have love to add a couple of fresh sage leaves, or a pinch of rosemary. 2 tbsp honey or malt extract 2tsps sugar 100g tomato paste Four pieces of sundried tomato, chopped (opt...